Mail-bag catcher and deliverer



J grvuc/rvto o STEVE MISCU' Patened Apr 13, 1920.

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S. NHSCO,

MAILBAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.5. 1919.

gnu 5% @3377 33mg Q/Q/ WWW STEVE MISCO, OF GARY, WEST VIRGINIA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Application filed September 5, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known "that" I, STEVE Mrsoo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gary, in the county of McDowell and State of est irginia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in MaiLBag Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for delivering packages to and from a moving train at any station or point along the l ne of railway and has for its object to provide means of similar or like construction which may be advantageously applied to the train or to asupport' at one side of the track whereby an interchange of packages may be effected at practically the same time without exposing the operator to danger or the llability of the matter to be damaged durmg the delivery.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of theinvention. However, it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet difi'erent conditions, various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

The drawings hereto attached illustrate an embodiment of the invention and on reference thereto 'Figure l is a View in elevation of a portion of a mail car and a post at one side of i the track, both being equipped with article handling mechanism embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 8-3 of Fig. 1, looking to the left, as indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 4 is a detail catcher.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the deliverer.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates the body of a railway car, such as generally used for transporting mail matter. The car is provided in a side with the usual opening 2 through which the mail passes both upon entering and leaving the car. An arm 3 is disposed at one side of the door opening 2 and is perspective view of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920. Serial No. 321,802.

hingedly connected to a jamb of the door opening so as to swing horizontally through the-door opening 2. A bracket 4 is attached to one side of the arm 3' and constitutes a stop to limit the outward movement of the arm, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. A mail catcher and a mail deliverer are applied to the outer end of the arm 3 and upon opposite sides thereof and preferably in different horizontal planes. These parts are of similar construction, since each consists o a 'U-shaped frame and oppositely disposed spring elements.

The catcher consists of a U-shaped frame 5 which is secured in any manner at its closed'end to the arm 3 or other supporting means. Spring elements 6 are secured to the ends of the members of the frame 5 and extend inwardly and rearwardly and have their free ends in contact. The outer space defined by the elements 6 flares so as to fa cilitate the entrance of the mail bag between the elements 6 when the catcher receives the mail from the cooperating deliverer. As the mail bag passes between the elements 6, the latter spring apart at their inner free ends to admit of the passage of the mail bag into the inner end of the frame 5, said elements 6 closing in the rear of the mail bag, so as to retain the same in the frame 5. In the preferable construction, the frame 5 consists of a bar of suitable length having end portions bent substantially at a right angle, whereby to form a frame of substantially U shape. Each 'of the elements 6 consists of a spring bar which is attached to the extremity of a member of the frame 5 and disposed so as to extend inwardly and rearwardly across the space comprised between the members of the frame 5.

The deliverer consists of a U-shaped frame 7 similar in construction to the frame 5 and adapted to be secured-at its closed end to the arm 3 or other supporting part. Spring elements 8 are disposed upon the inner sides of the members of the frame 7 and are secured at their inner ends thereto, the outer ends being free and overlapping the extremities of the side members of the frame 7. The elements 8 are of bow-shape and are disposed with their medial portions in close relation, so as to prevent casual disengagement of a mail bag from the frame 7 when placed in position for delivery. By having the elements 8 of bow-form and disposed substantially as indicated, the mail cured to the end of the and bag may be easily placed in position and readily detached from the deliverer when engaged by the catcher. The catcher and the deliverer are preferably disposed in different horizontal planes so as to avoid interference between the incoming and the outgoing mail bags.

A post 9 is disposed at one side of the track at each station or point where mail is to be delivered and taken up by a train. Arms 10 and 11 project laterally from the post 9 toward the track. A catcher is searm 10 and a deliverer is carried by the arm 11. Inasmuch as the catcher is substantially indentical in construction with the catcher previously described in detail it will suffice to state that it consists of a frame and spring element 6. The deliverer attached to the arm 11 is substantially indentical in construction with the deliverer previously described and comprises a frame 7 and spring elements 8. The operation of the catcher and deliverer is the same whether applied to the moving car or to a post or support at one side of the track.

To effect an interchange of mail bags at a station, the bag to be delivered from the train or car to the station is applied to the deliverer carried by the arm 3 and said arm is swung outwardly so as to project from the side of the car into the path of the catcher and deliverer supported at one side of the track. The bag containing the matter to be delivered from the station to the car or train is applied to the deliverer of the arm 11. It will be observed on reference to Fig. 1 that the catchers and deliverers are disposed so as to avoid interference the one with the other. It is assumed that the car or train is traveling from left to right, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. When the car reaches a point, so that the catchers and deliverer-s on the car and at the station are about opposite each other, the catcher carried by the arm 3 disengages the mail bag applied to the deliverer of the arm 11 and the catcher carried by the arm disengages the bag from the deliverer carried by the arm 3, the interchange between the car and station being effected practically at the same moment and without interference. The arm 3 is now swung into the car and the mail bag taken up, thereby detached therefrom.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In mail handling apparatus, a swinging arm, a bracket mounted on one side of the arm and movable therewith and constituting a stop to limit the swinging movement thereof in one direction and a catcher and deliverer carried by the arm.

2. In mail handling apparatus, a deliverer comprising a frame of substantially U form and bow-shaped spring elements disposed at the inner sides of the members comprising the frame and secured thereto at their inner ends and having their outer ends free and overlapping the ends of the side members of the frame.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. STEVE MISCO. 'Witnesses:

D. B. PRICE, MARTHA H. SMITH. 

